Without a Mask
by SwanQueen101
Summary: Idea from IShipLOVE's story, Nine to Five. Established SwanQueen One-shot Emma finds something out that excites her beyond belief, but when Regina snaps at her again because it's her 'working hours', and she's not to be disturbed, Emma sulks at Granny's. Ruby doesn't enjoy her best friend sulking when she should be celebrating. At the end of the day, Regina finds herself maskless.


**A/N: OKAY! I know I haven't updated my other story with the last chapter yet, and I'm so sorry for that wait, but I've been having some major writers block with that story. SO! I was reading a FanFiction (Nine to Five by IShipLOVE... fantastic story! Check it out if you want to see where I came up with this idea! I recommend it!) and this story just kinda came to me... So, of course I had to write it down after checking with IShipLOVE to see if it was okay that I used the idea (she said it was, just for clarification haha) so I used it. Tell me what you think!**

**Warning: language... yup... that's about it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT!**

She's excited. No, that's the understatement of the century. She's fucking _ecstatic!_ She just has to call her girlfriend and let her know. Let her know _exactly_ what's been going on with her.

But when your girlfriend is Regina Mills, and she's not out of her work hours, Emma knows better than anyone that she really shouldn't call her. That it's a terrible idea.

Because everyone knows that Regina Mills is Mayor Mills, Madame Mayor, or Ms. Mills when she's still in work. Yet, Emma knows this time will be different. She just _knows_ it. Because she has to believe it will be.

Sometimes she gets tired of being called Miss Swan for half of the day, but it makes it all better when she comes home to a loving Regina. When she comes home to the best girlfriend ever. The girlfriend that she wants to be with for the rest of her life. The girlfriend that she's _talked_ about this new improvement with.

The girlfriend that, _surely_, wouldn't do the same thing she's been doing for the two years, nine months, ten days that they've been dating. Because… because that'd just about kill her right now.

But she doesn't really think that when she picks up her cell to call her ever-loving girlfriend during half of the day. She just knows that this time will be different.

Emma clicks the 'call' button and waits, bouncing on her heels with happiness. She just can't sit still right now. The smile on her face doesn't leave when the secretary picks up, either.

"Madame Mayor's office." The deep voice informs.

"God! It took you long enough! I just… I need to speak with Regina. Now. Please, Tom. Now. Like, knock her door down if she says she's busy. Please. I just-"

"Emma. I'm putting you through." She can hear his smile over the phone while he tries to fane annoyance. Her grin just grows.

"Mayor Mills." Her heart leaps in her chest in happiness.

"Regina!" She accidentally gets a bit too excited. She just can't contain her happiness any longer.

"Miss Swan," Mayor Mills answers coldly, "Keep your childish squawking to yourself." Emma doesn't really register the cold, scolding tone her girlfriend is using.

"Sorry, but, babe, I'm-"

"Miss Swan. We've been over this, or has your brain finally given out from all of the computer games you play while you're supposed to be working? What time is it?" Emma's brows furrow in a bit of hurt at the condescending tone, but she tries to move past it.

"No, I know you're at work, but this is-"

"If you know I'm at work, then you know that I will not tolerate being called anything other than Madame Mayor, Mayor Mills, or-" Emma's had enough.

"Ms. Mills." Emma finishes, her excitement completely drained, the conversation killing any happiness that she had about her announcement. "I remember." She says dully.

"Right then. Get back to work, Sherriff." Mayor Mills sneers. Emma bows her head, but she refuses to let the tears that have gathered in her eyes overflow.

"Right. Well, can I maybe stop-" the line goes dead, "by…" she trails off. She just wanted to share her excitement with her girlfriend. Madame Mayor, The Evil Queen, and Regina Mills are three different people, that much Emma knows. She also knows she's getting tired of not being able to share things with her girlfriend until she's done with work.

She stands from the bed that Regina and her share and walks into the bathroom. With one hand she wipes the tear that managed to escape from her eye.

"Goddamn hormones." She mutters while the other hand throws the pregnancy test with the little pink plus sign attached to it in the trashcan.

* * *

She walks alone to Granny's for comfort food. Her mood has turned sour since the call with the Mayor. She's sulking, and she knows it, but she can't find it in herself to care. She's dealt with this for two years, eleven months, and ten days, and it's never really been a big deal. She's never truly had something exciting to say. She usually was just bored at work, and she'd try to get a conversation out of the hard ass Mayor.

But today…

Today she was so excited. She was going to find some great way to tell her. She wasn't actually going to tell her over the phone. Or, maybe she was. She didn't really know. But she does know that the reaction that she got when she did call wasn't the one she wanted. At all.

_She should have known. _It's what she tells herself. That she should have known better than to think the Mayor would be excited about her calling. That the Mayor could read her excitement over the phone. She should have known better.

But she didn't. And she got burned for it. Again.

Emma opens the door to Granny's, expecting Ruby to come bouncing out from around the counter, and she does just that.

"Emma! What's up? Sit wherever! Want your usual?" She smiles at how natural Ruby is, at how good she is at her job. She nods her head as the usual questions are asked, but when Ruby comes back with her hot chocolate with cinnamon on top of the whipped cream, she stops her.

"Ruby, I actually wanna add to my order. I need some food in me." She smiles at her as she nods enthusiastically while taking out the writing pad from her back pocket.

"Whacha want?" She asks with a tilt of her head.

"Uh… could I have a burger with fries and a hotdog with a side of fruit and a slice of chocolate pie?" At the look she gets from Ruby, she narrows her eyes. "Don't judge me, Rubes. I'm… er, I'm kinda eating for two." She whispers with a small genuine smile. Ruby's eyes look like they're about to bulge out of her head.

"WHAT?!" The screech is heard all around the diner, so Emma quickly shushes her and shoots her a desperate look. "Oh, sorry. Everyone… just… eat." She waves her hand at them like she's sending away a peasant. Emma rolls her eyes at Ruby's usual spunk. "Oh my god!" She whispers. "Holy shit! You're pregnant?!" She smiles at Ruby, and Ruby shrieks and runs around the counter separating them, pulling Emma into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, Ems, that's so great!" She pulls back with a genuine, soft smile on her face.

"Thanks Rubes." She smiles back at her.

"So…. Have you told Regina?" Ruby's eyebrows rise in question, but Emma can see the faintest look of resentment at the name. Emma sighs, and she knows Ruby already knows by the way she tenses up next to her.

See, Ruby works part time at the diner and part time with Emma. So, she knows what the Mayor can be like when she's called in the middle of the day. And she also knows the look on Emma's face every time the Mayor hangs up on her, the disappointment and rejection. But now, she can see it plain as day, and it makes her blood boil.

"That bitch." Ruby snarls. "You tried to call her during work, didn't you? Goddamn it!" Ruby's fists connect with the chair next to Emma, startling the girl.

"Ruby… don't get mad. It's… I should have known better than try to tell her during work hours. Please, Ruby, promise me you won't do anything. I'll just tell her when I get home from work. Don't worry about it." Emma can feel the anger radiating off of the wolf next to her.

"Emma, she has to know what she's doing to you, to your relationship. She can't treat you like shit half of the time you're together. Not to mention, that's the only side any of us ever see. We don't see the soft and cuddly Regina that you see when you get home. I mean, I've seen her out on Saturdays, but even that's rare. Emma, you have to draw a line somewhere. And you're pregnant now. You have to think about the baby, too. I'm not taking any of this shit about how you should have known better. That's utter bullshit, okay? Bull. Shit." She hisses at the blonde whose head is now hanging low. "She can't treat you like that."

"Please Ruby." The blonde whimpers. "Please don't do anything. Not now. I'm just so happy about this baby. Regina may not be during one half of the day, but she's still my girlfriend. And I still love her. Please, you can't say anything about me being pregnant to her. Not yet. No yelling or anything. Promise me."

"Em-"

"Please." She looks up at Ruby, pleading with her. Ruby sighs deeply.

"Alright. I won't tell her anything about you being preggers. I promise." She smiles lightly at the relieved blonde.

"Thank you, Rubes." Emma smiles back. "And can you make my order to-go? I should probably get down to the station. Not to mention people are going to think I'm really fat if I eat all of this here." She wrinkles her nose in disgust but can't keep the smile off her face. She's feeling a bit better. Ruby laughs at her logic.

"Of course, Ems. It'll be right up." The brunette stalks away to another customer, leaving behind a smiling blonde.

* * *

Ten minutes later and Emma's on her way out the door, yelling a goodbye to Ruby with a to-go bag in her hand. She has a peaceful walk back to the Sherriff's station, until she's right across from her destination.

She's looking at her watch to see how long it takes her to walk from Granny's because it occurred to her that she's never actually timed the short walk. She looks up just in time to see Hansel engrossed in his comic book crossing the street. But her Sherriff mode kicks in quickly, without her even realizing it's happening. She drops the Granny's bag and runs straight for the young boy.

She shoves the kid out of the way of the oncoming car just in time to feel the impact. She shuts her eyes tightly and curls up in a ball so to protect her stomach and any important organs. She hits the ground at some point, but she can't really feel anything. She hears two sickening cracks, but still doesn't feel anything. She hears the car screech to a halt, but her eyes don't open. She can hear what sounds like voices, but they don't really register. She's just lying in the middle of the road, eyes shut tight, hoping against hope that her little baby is okay until everything just starts to fade to darkness.

* * *

Emma's been gone from the diner for a full five minutes when the Mayor walks in, distracted as ever. Ruby immediately narrows her eyes at the currently unwelcome guest.

"Madame Mayor. Sit wherever." She says coldly. Regina locks eyes with her for a mere moment before they shift elsewhere. The look that Ruby saw in her eyes is unmistakable, worry. Worry and something else that she can't quite place.

When Regina sits on a different barstool than she always sits on, that's when Ruby starts to question what's really going on. She brings Regina's regular to where she's currently sitting. Black coffee; no sugar, no cream. But, instead of scampering away like she usually would, Ruby stays in front of Regina, just looking at her. Seconds turn to minutes. At the five minute mark, Regina still hasn't touched her coffee, but she does jerk forward, like suddenly noticing Ruby sitting there, looking at her.

"Miss Lucas, is there something you need?" Mayor Mills is back and as cold as ever.

And that pisses Ruby off.

"Yeah, actually. There is." The fire in her eyes makes Regina nervous, but she doesn't show it. "You know something? Emma came in today. About ten minutes ago." That gets Regina's attention. "And she made me promise-" The phone in Ruby's pocket goes off, beeping profusely, and Regina scowls at the annoyance. But Ruby locks eyes with her. "This conversation isn't over." She snarls, and it takes Regina off guard how vicious Ruby looks when she snarls.

Ruby snaps her phone open. "What!?" She snaps. "Of course it's Deputy Lucas. Who else would it be?" She scolds the person on the other line. Regina pretends not to be interested, but when the color from Ruby's face drains, her eyes manage to catch the wolf's every move. Ruby's hands start to shake. "What… what happened?" Tears fill Ruby's eyes quickly as she gasps for air. "NO! No, no no. Oh god." She groans, tears sliding down her cheeks.

She takes one look at Regina and more tears come. She shakes her head at the woman before her, and Regina can't think of anyone that could make Ruby look so distraught. Well, anyone except for… Regina's eyes widen, but she tries to talk herself out of that option. There's no way… she'd just talked to her girlfriend this morning. And Emma so obviously had something she wanted to say, but Regina had been in a foul mood from all the paper work that immediately gathered on her desk the moment she stepped into the room that she hadn't even cared about Emma's excitement. But the moment she'd hung up, she'd regretted snapping so harshly at Emma. She'd told herself she'd apologize tonight, but she was hoping she'd catch her for lunch at Granny's. She didn't.

But now, Ruby's hanging up and trying to contain her sobs, but the whole diner's gone quiet except for the soft sobs wracking the popular waitress. The broken wolf speaks the two words that are needed to get Regina into her car and to the hospital.

"It's Emma." She sobs quietly. And Regina's gone, quickly telling Ruby to ride with her.

The car ride is quiet except for the sobs that are quickly wracking the small girl's body. Regina's trapped in her mind, never able to escape. She thinks of how terrible it could be. How miserable Emma could be. How dead Emma could be. But she desperately tries to shake that thought from her mind. That _is_ her True Love she's thinking about.

She suddenly finds herself parking in her usual spot and quickly getting out of the car. She shoves the doors of the hospital open in a fury, fear and worry clouding her mind.

"Where is she?!" She demands of a nurse, getting up in her face easily. She's never had a problem with getting in people's personal space.

"Ma-Madame May-Mayor, uh, I'm n-not sure. Ask Dr. Whale. He knows everything a-about what happened." The nurse quickly walks away from Regina, pointing out the male doctor behind the Mayor. Regina spins quickly on the doctor, making him take a small step back.

"Where is she? What happened? What's wrong with her?" Regina's mask has fallen completely, and she can't seem to care. Not with Emma locked in one of the rooms around her, maybe dying, maybe severely injured. She's not really sure and that scares her tremendously.

"Madame Mayor, Miss Swan has actually been extremely lucky. She has a small bit of road rash on her side, a broken arm, and a broken leg, but for what she went through, we're extremely lucky that they're both alive. It was a close call, but we managed to make sure the little one is safe." The Mayor looks absolutely livid, and the good doctor has the sense to take another step back.

"You managed to save _what_ little one? What exactly happened?!" The question comes out as more of a demand.

"Well, Emma pushed Hansel out of the way right before the car hit. The driver's okay, as well as Hansel, but Emma was hit directly. Flew right over the windshield. You're lucky she curled up in a ball mid-hit. When she landed, she landed on her side, but she managed to protect her stomach, which is good-"

"What the hell is so goddamn great about her not landing on her fucking stomach?! She was hit with a _car!_ A _fucking _car. I mean I'm glad she's alright, more than glad, excruciatingly happy actually, but why didn't she protect her head or something?" The Mayor hollers in frustration, waving her arms around. At the look Dr. Whale gives her, one of complete confusion and horror, she breaks a bit more.

"What?! Why are you looking at me like that?!" She hisses in his face.

"Madame Mayor… I… She protected her stomach because she has _sense._ I can't believe that you would even suggest otherwise. I didn't realize you would be so _cruel_ as to wish such a horror on your own beloved. And she thought you would be ecstatic…" He snaps back at the stunned brunette.

"_What _are you even _talking_ about?!" She's shaking with fury and confusion. Dr. Whale seems to realize his mistake as he starts to backpedal.

"Wait… you don't know? Emma was so excited about telling you. She was muttering about going to call you this morning when she left. That's strange…" He trails off again, in his own little world.

"What don't I know about Emma?!" Regina finally looses it completely; realizing that, if she had just paid attention to her girlfriend this morning, she would know exactly what was going on. If she had just given her ecstatic love ten minutes, she wouldn't be in the dark.

"Right, sorry. Emma's pregnant. She came in this morning to double check, but she'd taken a pregnancy test before hand. It'd told her that she was pregnant, but she came in anyway for blood work. And as soon as she got the positive, she had a huge smile on her face. She started muttering about calling you as soon as she got home, and that's why I assumed you knew. I apologize if you didn't already."

She feels sick. This… finding this out was supposed to be happy and fun and exhilarating. Not sad or scary. And she shouldn't be feeling so guilty. But Regina can't help but think that if she'd just given Emma the time to explain why she was so happy, they would be at home together, happily snuggling on the couch while watching some stupid movie that really didn't matter.

But… but now she's in the hospital. She's in the hospital, finding out that she's going to be a mother again, while praying that nothing's happened to the baby. To her and Emma's baby. To their baby.

She isn't sure when she hit the floor, or when the tears started, or when the pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her into a chair, but she does know that her walls are gone. That she _is_ crying. That she _is _in a chair. That she now knows why Ruby was so angry with her. She's angry with herself, too.

And she decides, right there, that she's going to make it up to Emma. No matter what, she'll make it up to her love and their baby.

* * *

When she wakes up, she's aware of the two casts, as well as being in a hospital with a hand resting in her left hand. Her eyes open, and the first thing she sees is a brunette head lying next to her left hand, the fingers from said brunette intertwined with hers. She smiles, and chuckles lightly at the sight. The head shoots up and looks around quickly.

When she sees the loving smile directed her way, Regina feels like she's back in their room, under the covers after a session of lovemaking. But she's snapped into the harsh reality with the first words out of the blonde's mouth.

"Is it after five?" The furrowed brows of the blonde tell the brunette enough. She's serious. And confused. Tears come unbidden to the brunette's eyes. Five o'clock, the time she gets off of work.

She shakes her head slowly as the tears start to spill down her cheeks.

"No, no my love, it's not after five." She chokes out before a sob slips from her mouth. She snakes her free hand, the one not intertwined with Emma's fingers, up to cradle Emma's cheek, rubbing soft circles in her right jaw. More tears spill, but she doesn't care. Not anymore. The only thing that matters is that they're both alive, Emma and their child.

"Mayor-"

"I swear to god if you call me anything other than Regina, babe, Gina, or any other weird term of endearment that you always seem to come up with right now I'll go Evil Queen on you're ass." Regina says through her tears, laughing lightly. This Regina, Regina Mills, is the Regina that Emma knows so well. The one that she loves. The one that she cherishes with everything in her. Not that she doesn't cherish the Mayor, but this Regina is softer, nicer. More human.

"What's wrong, babe?" The compassion, worry, and love held in Emma's eyes causes sobs to wrack the older brunette's body. She lets go of all the tears she's been trying to hold in for the past three hours of waiting by her love's bed.

"Emma, my love, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." She says in between her cries of anguish. Emma takes her hand away from Regina's and brings her hand up to lift up Regina's chin. She wipes away the tears in silence. Because she knows what Regina is apologizing for. Of course Regina would seek out Dr. Whale, and Whale would no doubt tell Regina about the child. And Regina would put the dots together; she's not stupid.

"Regina." She finally speaks after minutes of silence. "It's okay. I know work is important. No, I don't like when my girlfriend snaps me at." She wipes away another tear that leaks from Regina's eye with the pad of her thumb. "But I'm a big girl. I know that, sometimes, you're going to be busy with paper work. And, sometimes I call just to pick a fight with you because I'm bored. I know that aggravates you, and I'm sorry for that in advance cause we both know I'm going to continue doing that. But, this morning, I just wanted to share the news with you. Sometimes it can't wait until you get home, or until I get home. And I need to have your attention during those times, but I also understand when you can't give me that attention. And you separating your work from your private life is probably a good idea, but sometimes, I just want to bring you lunch. Or just say hi and see how your day's going. You know, I love you more than anything. You, Henry, and this little one," she looks down at her stomach, "are my family. I love you all so much, and I can't picture my life without you guys. But, sometimes, I just don't get the same feeling from you. From nine to five, I'm nothing but an annoying Sherriff, and that really sucks sometimes."

A tear falls from Emma's eye, and Regina finally sees just how much damage that has been done. She wipes Emma's tear away.

"No, my love." She whispers, heartbreak and disbelief coloring her words. "Oh, no. You are my everything as well. I will spend every day the rest of my life making sure you know that. I promise. If I lost you… I… I don't know what I would do. I don't know how I would live without being able to wake up next to you, or listening to your heartbeat, or that stupid red leather jacket being left lying around our house. I don't know what I would do without you anymore. Please… I'm so sorry, Emma. I will prove it. Every day, every call, every lunch, I'll do it all. Whatever it is. However I can prove it, I'll do it. I'm so sorry." She whispers, taking Emma's hand and interlocking it with hers.

"I love you. So much." Emma sighs, eyes as forgiving as ever. Regina sighs in relief, and lays her other hand over Emma's stomach.

Their smiles stretch across their faces as Regina leans over and kisses Emma's stomach, right where the bump will grow. And, from where Ruby stands watching the interaction with the two, she sees what Emma's fallen so hard for.

Regina Mills without a mask.

**A/N: SOOOOOOOO... did you like it, love it, hate it, or 'ehh it was okay' it? I wrote this all in one sitting, so it may not be like SUPER FANTASTIC AWESOMENESS, but I was fairly pleased with how it turned out. Seriously, tell me what you guys think. And, if anyone want to hit me up with a prompt, I'd love to see if I can unblock my writers block with this scene in my last story. Or, if anyone wants to help, just PM me. :) You guys are awesome! Can't wait to see what you think!**

**~SwanQueen101**


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